Hot holiday toys for 2009

What are today’s kids hoping to find stuffed in their stockings this holiday? Here are a few of the season’s hottest toys–as well as links from the new shopping Web site Flit.com that will help you find retailers carrying these items.

Zhu Zhu Pets They squeak when you pet their noses and make teeth-brushing sounds in the bathroom and sleeping noises in the bedroom. Fluffy little hamster toys are all the rage and you’re lucky if you can get your hands on one. These little critters retail for $10 but demand is pushing prices up to $50 or $60. Ouch!

Bakugan What do you get when you combine a Japanese anime cartoon and action figures and cards into a game? Bakugan. The animated series debuted in the U.S. on the Cartoon Network last year, and the tiny Bakugan brawlers that go along with the series have been a big hit ever since. The action figures are tucked into spheres that pop open when placed onto a magnetic game card, where they gather points. For kids 6+. $12 for a pack of three.

Twilight dolls The hand-painted 15-inch Tonner Doll depicting Edward Cullen isn’t as impossibly gorgeous as Robert Pattinson, but the collector’s item costing over $100 is sure to satisfy any Twilight-obsessed tween. A less expensive option is a Bella Swan Barbie costing only $35.

Right out of the blockbuster movie, these six construction machines can be put together to form a mega-sized Devastator. Kids can re-enact the epic battles from Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. For kids 5+. From $90.

Tiana dolls She’s the star of Disney’s latest film, the Princess and the Frog, and even though the movie doesn’t officially hit theaters until December 11 the merchandise hit store shelves long ago. A Barbie-like Tiana dressed in her yellow Bayou wedding dress by Mattel, $24, is certain to be on many little girls’ lists. Mattel also sells a version depicting the princess when she was a toddler for $22.

Fisher Price Smart Fit Park Who says video games aren’t for preschoolers? With this TV-interactive system, little ones can hop, skip, jump, walk and run their way through multiple levels of learning games and timed challenges. There’s plenty of music and variety to make it extra fun to learn through active play. For 3-6 years old. $50.